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What Do You Have Faith In?

When you sit down in a chair, do you sit there holding on for dear life, praying that the chair won’t break? Or do you have faith that it won’t crumble under your weight and drop you to the floor?

Well. That’s silly. Of course you believe the chair will hold you. The faith we have in furniture is so great that we never even think about it really. Our trust is complete.

When my son got his driver’s license, we had faith in him. We trusted that he would not be harmed, and that he would drive defensively. Then he had an accident. His fault. The car had to have thousands of dollars of work, while we became a one-car family.

After the car was repaired, we had faith that this wouldn’t happen again. We handed over the keys, and told him that we trusted that he would be safe. Then he had another accident. His fault. The car had thousands of dollars of work, while we became a one-car family once again. Oh, and just to top it all off, our insurance company dropped us. Sigh. Who could blame them really.

Now you would think that after two expensive accidents, this child’s driving career would be toast, but you’d be wrong. We had faith, and we handed those keys over once again.

It’s fascinating how we have so much faith in furniture, isn’t it? And how we have rock-solid faith in our children, and in people in general, even though they will eventually fail us. That’s just how people are, we’re all well-meaning mistake machines, and that’s just how it is. But still, we have faith.

Faith is a gift, we all have it. But like all gifts that we’ve been given, it’s up to us to decide how and where to activate it. We almost universally apply it to things like cars starting, doors opening and chairs not collapsing, but almost universally struggle when applying it to God.

The boy with two accidents? “Here’s the keys!” The God who made me and supports my life? “Um…I don’t know…”

Jesus said if we have the faith of a mustard seed, we’ll be calling mountains to move, but I’ve never seen that happen, have you? So faith truly is a difficult gift to activate when it comes to God, and Jesus surely knew it.

But he also knew it wasn’t impossible. If we already know how to trust created things, then certainly there’s hope in placing our trust in the Creator. Maybe our faith starts small, but it can grow if we’ll only hang in there and practice it.

We make it a habit to exercise and build up our muscle strength so we’ll be ready to face the day. If we don’t, our muscles will be weak and useless. If we don’t continually practice faith and trust in our Creator, it won’t be there when we need it most either.

It’s okay to start small, even smaller than a mustard seed. I’m not really interested in moving a mountain anyway. Trusting God like I trust my desk chair? That’ll be a great start.

I like the comparison of faith to muscles. It has always been something real to me looking at it like that. I love to read how faith pleased Jesus in the gospels and always want to be one of those women getting a pat on the back from Him for stepping out. It seems to come in degrees. Can’t wait until all my challenges get to the place of sitting-in-a chair faith and not even doubting the furniture!

Hi Mary! I did a Scripture study this summer that highlighted the fact that Jesus loved to see faith in his people. That’s what really seemed to move him, don’t you think?

The muscle comparison really hits home too. I remember when I was recovering from my broken leg, how hard it was to regain strength and size of my muscles in the affected leg. I’m sure you must be facing some of that yourself!

Yes, Faith is a gift. Hence my confusion. Does God give me the gift of Faith, and that first spark lights up the pilot light which eventually lights the fire of faith within me? If so, do I wait for His gift to start the spark within me?

What if I have little faltering Faith, (like Peter trying to walk on water, or Thomas doubting the Resurrection), is my faltering Faith my fault or has God not given me enough?

If I can’t move mountains, (who can?), is it because we have not enough Faith, or God has not given us enough, or we are somehow lacking and misusing the little Faith that we have?

What happens when I am feeling weak, perhaps ill, or things are going wrong in my life and my Faith fails me? Is it truly my fault? And should I just grow up and stop whinging and whining and be have better?

Hi Victor! Goodness, I hope I am not making you feel inadequate!! That is a bad thing, please don’t feel that way.

The point I wanted to make is that we have faith in many, many things. We just don’t realize it. Faith in things that can fail us is not bad, it’s just that it’s going to fail us. God doesn’t, so why is it so hard to have faith in him?

And certainly Jesus knew how hard faith was, he told his own Apostles how much they would need to move mountains. But then again, what is ‘size’ when it comes to faith? Our idea of what a small is may be completely off, who knows?

I never want you to feel inadequate. I love all the questions you came up with, they are timeless and very valid.
Blessings,
Ceil

Yes, Ceil, it’s all too easy to trust in things when can see, and so much harder to trust in God, the “unseen.” But Jesus calls us to do just that. To have faith and trust in God and His purpose for our lives. Thank you for making us reflect upon where our trust level is with the Lord today.
Blessings!

Hi Mari! I agree with you, I found that whole concept of trusting in simple things like a chair just fascinating. I don’t even think about it, I trust it so much. So why do I trust so fully in that, but struggle with faith in God? I think that’s an eternal question.

“The boy with two accidents? “Here’s the keys!” The God who made me and supports my life? “Um…I don’t know…”

That made me laugh. Yeah!

Years ago there was a rift in my family between some people and some other people. At the time, I wanted to fix it, but couldn’t and didn’t…I saw it as a bad thing. Years later, looking back, I see it as God’s protection. Funny. But, turns out, trusting God was ok.

Hi Sandi! I’m so happy for you! You see how God protected you right through uncertain times. That’s wonderful! Like faith, trust is something that Our Lord really calls us to in relationship with him. Sometimes we don’t see it, but when we do, wow. It’s so rewarding, right?

Good morning Ceil! Great application about faith and your son’s driving. 🙂 You were trusting souls. LOL I read this the other day in my New Morning Mercies devotional: “Belief is not simply a function of the brain. No, it’s an investment of the heart that fundamentally changes the way that you live.” When I read my devos I change all the “You” and “we” to “I” and “me” to make it personal. Does my faith change the way I live? Exactly what you are saying. Thanks for the reminder.

You know Bill, you really ministered to my heart with your comment. I know that relying on emotions is not the thing to do sometimes. The thought that our belief isn’t a brain function really resonated with me. Faith runs against our logical brain, that makes so much sense!

Ceil, I love this post. Love how you used a chair and love the story about your son with the car keys. Oh it is so true at how we must have faith to go on…do it again, trust, and well, this really ministered to me this morning. Thank YOU!!! Hugs and blessings, Cindy

Hi Cindy! Thank you for your kind words about the post, I’m so glad they resonated with you this morning. God is so good!

When I think of all the ‘things’ I put my faith in, I realize that my capacity to have and apply it is a lot bigger than I thought. I need to apply it to the Lord and his presence in my life. It sure would make my day more exciting and loved.

Ceil: Faith is also a fruit of the Spirit. God allows our faith to show as we learn to abide in Him and obey the Holy Spirit. Jesus told several of those He healed that it was their faith that healed them. I have had times in my life where I could not ‘fix’ a problem and had to learn to turn that circumstance over to God and let Him work it out. Trust, Reliance, and Faith all get mixed together for me. I have to trust God and rely on His guidance and, then, my faith seems to be evident to others and to myself.

Hi Cecelia! What a great way to look at faith. Yes, it is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and we all have it. I think it’s just sometimes a difficult gift to activate. How wonderful that you have learned the way of depending on God in your challenging times. You are a model for me, that’s for sure.

This is powerful, Ceil. It really makes me wonder why I don’t have more faith in God who will never fail us or make mistakes. Thank you for prompting me to reflect on this. I would like to give him the driving keys to my life, but too often I clutch tightly to them. Love and hugs!

Oh my gosh Trudy, I LOVE that thought of ‘giving him the driving keys’, it makes me wish I thought of it myself! LOL!

You aren’t the only one who wants to just hold on to what I see. It’s so hard to let go and allow faith to guide. I think that will be the challenge of a lifetime. I know Jesus understands how hard it is for us.

Hi Ceil, Faith is an interesting construct. What matters most is where (or better yet who!) we place our faith in. The safest and best place to place our faith is in the Lord. As mentioned above, faith is a fruit of the Spirit–truly a gift from God. Faith is “muscle” that needs exercised to gain strength and stamina.

Hi Kim! I so agree that faith is a gift that has to be used, or ‘exercised’ or it’s going to fail us. That’s for sure. It is a mystery of grace that allows us to have faith in a God we do not see, and that’s what makes it such a challenge.

You are so right to say that our faith should belong to the one who gave it to us. May the Lord empower us to grow in faith daily.

“The boy with two accidents? ‘Here’s the keys!’ The God who made me and supports my life? “Um…I don’t know…'” Now that’s profound, Ceil.
Thanks for this encouraging post. I needed to read your wisdom today!

I loved coming here after reading your comment on my blog. I was talking about Abraham and faith and then you bring me back to the question of faith here.

I am definitely a “take baby steps” kind of girl. I need to start small with everything. As much as I would like to be more like Abraham, I know my “yes” will be one that doesn’t take me to a faraway land away from home. However, I do want to say that “yes”. I pray I grow my faith a little at a time.

LOVE this Ceil, Did you know that 90% of first year drivers have accidents? Your son might have upped that percentage–LOL! Faith–I am so thankful I have faith that God is who He says He is! Thankful that I have faith that Jesus paid it all. Thankful for the faith I have been supplied and thankful that more will come. What is life without faith and hope?
Blessings, My Friend!

I have been there and done that more than I would like to admit. If we never trust again we would be miserable creatures. It is hard to let go and let God but it is a decision that we have to make if we say we trust the Lord. Super post, Ceil!

I love your description of people as “well-meaning mistake machines”- that’s a great way of putting it! And it’s so true that we put faith in all kinds of things but still find it hard to trust in God sometimes, which is ridiculous when he is the one we can really rely on who will never let us down.

Hi Lesley! Well, I sure know I am one of those mistake machines that’s for sure. I know that I let people down, including myself. How much better to put my trust in the one who is perfect, loving and protecting me?

Faith is a funny thing isn’t it, it seems easy to have faith in things that we can see but if we can’t see something it seems to make faith much more difficult and yet God in whom we can’t see has never failed or let us down but people in who we can see, do fail and do let us down …funny how that is indeed..reminds me of the scripture that says faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, Hen.11:1… our faith takes shape as its substance becomes a reality as we see God work things out in our lives… that Faith becomes a reality… Amazing! I so enjoyed your post today and will chew on these thoughts longer about faith!

Wow, this is SO true, my friend. And, faith isn’t really faith, unless it is tested, tried, and proven, right? I think of that verse about the trying of our faith being much more precious than gold. Sometimes, we can’t see it while it is happening, but later we realize that after we have passed through a trial, we really didn’t come out on the other side with more and deeper faith. God bless you…thank you for always inspiring my faith here. 🙂

Hi Cheryl! I like the idea of the ‘testing in fire’. Faith does grow, or fail, in adversity. I know there have been times in my life when I thought to myself, “Why is God doing this?” But I never left him, and I can honestly say my faith was stronger for the adversity.

That chair looks so comfortable! And roomy! I guess faith can leave us feeling very content too, when no crumbs of doubt get on the chair. This has got me thinking too, wondering how to define the difference between faith and trust. Maybe it is like love and compassion. We cannot have one without the other. Currently I trust the chair I sit in because I have faith in the ones who manufactured it. Ha! Just had an ah-ha moment. Thanks Ceil for your thought-provoking and truth-filled post!

Hi Lynn! It is pretty interesting to look at what we have faith in, and how it came about. I find that I definitely have more faith in things than in God, which is a sad state of affairs. If I had stronger faith, I’d never be nervous, always know that it’s all in God’s hands.

Well good LORD you are so right about this. Although I’m not 100% sure I would trust my son after two expensive accidents (God BLESS your faith! LOL) I get this- I get that my faith is unwavering in so many areas of my life and yet our GOD gets all the doubts and relentless questioning.

Mustard seed faith. Yes. I’m not really up for moving mountains either Ceil… but I’ve always said God would rather move people. I’m up for that. I just need to keep checking on the throne’s ability to hold me. Ha! How’s that for a little #chairfaith?

I haven’t visited in a while. I saw a comment you left on a friend’s blog and knew I needed to visit you! There’s a mountain in my life I’d love to push out of the way and see the view on the other side… or do I really want to know? Trying to give it over completely to the One Who can handle my life so much better than I could ever imagine! Great food for thought, sweet Lady!

You bring up a great point about maybe we aren’t supposed to see what’s on the other side…maybe I wouldn’t be ready for what I’d see. God knows whats best for me and when, even when I wish I could see it too. I need to hand it all over to the Lord, just as you said!

I think about this a lot, Ceil. Think about a railing on a verandah, up in a high-rise building. We lean on it , looking out on the view without ever thinking that that railing might give way and we might fall. But, as you noted so eloquently, we waver when it comes to trusting the God of the universe. How much patience He has with us! And how humbling it is to know that we have so much farther to go in our faith journey with Him.

Hi Alison! Oh my gosh, I LOVE that thought about the railing! My parents used to live on the eighth floor of a condo, and we’d always hang over the railing to say hi to family at the pool there. Great example of trust.

You are so right about the humility aspect. I hope I never lose that, knowing that I have so far to go.
So nice of you to stop by Alison!
Ceil